The implementation of isolation in the lives of John Steinbeck's characters in his novel Of Mice and Men allows him to discuss the effect of isolation on an individual's life. Through the characters of Lennie, Crooks, Candy, and Curley's wife, Steinbeck is able to fully illustrate how isolation influences one's attitude toward life. Lennie, Crooks, Candy and Curley's wife all live in isolation. Isolation interacts differently with each character, but ultimately negatively influences each of them. Although each of the characters in Of Mice and Men experiences loneliness, none of them do so by choice. Steinbeck is able to demonstrate how the concept of loneliness is essential to the novel's unfortunate but inevitable conclusion. The novel is set during the Great Depression, which was "a time of great economic turmoil and disaster" (American History), in Soledad. , California. Before the characters are fully introduced, there is already a feeling of isolation as the town's name literally translates to solitude in Spanish (Study Spanish). Most of the characters experience loneliness. The reader quickly learns that Lennie is a lonely character when George reminds him, "Guys like us, who work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world." They have no family. They don’t belong anywhere” (Steinbeck 15). . As the novel continues, the reader quickly learns that the workers are not the only ones who feel alone; Crooks, Candy and Curley's wife also confess their loneliness. Candy experiences loneliness because of her disability and her age. Candy lost her hand after an accident involving machinery, ultimately forcing her to stay put. His age also causes Candy to feel a sense of loneliness because he is... middle of paper ...... recounting his personal experience of loneliness. Ultimately, the novel comes to say that humans are happiest when they can trust others for protection and guidance. Overall, through the use of the characters from Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck manages to emphasize how the isolation that is imposed on individuals by society ultimately leads to the suffering of the individual. The overall message of the novel is that no individual should be mistreated because of a mental problem, their race, their gender, or the fact that they may have a physical injury. It is everyone's human right to be treated equally and respectfully. No one should ever feel like a stranger to their surroundings. Loneliness is something that no one can avoid. As the story draws to a close, the story highlights different causes of isolation, including discrimination and prejudice..